Royal Dorsetshire Regiment
20551 Everett John BAILEY
Everett was born on 7th August and baptised in Burbage church on 26th November 1899. He was the second son of Henry and Louisa Bailey (nee Underwood). In 1908 Everett was admitted to Wiltshire County Council National Mixed School, Burbage. Three years later at the 1911 Census, the family, including two sons and five daughters, were living in Pall Mall Burbage.
Everett, also known as John, joined the Dorset Regiment and served with the 6th Battalion.
The 6th Battalion served under 50th Brigade of 17th (Northern Division. The Division assembled at Wareham and landed at Boulogne on 14th July 1915. It saw action on the Western Front at Hooge in 1915, the Somme in 1916, Arras and Ypres in 1917, and the Somme, Hindenburg Line and Picardy in 1918.
John survived the war and returned to Burbage. He was awarded the British War and Victory Medals.
At some point after the war and before 31st May 1920, regimental numbers changed and Pte Bailey was allocated number 0458.
John married Ivy Rogers in 1926.
He died in 1964. (with thanks to Colin Pincher)
9377 Albert Edward SPANSWICK (MIST)
Albert was born in Fulham on 4th November 1892 and Christened in Burbage on 5th February 1893. His mother, Mary Spanswick, later married John Mist and they lived together in Stibb Green. Albert attended school in Burbage from 1900 to 1906.
Albert was an agricultural labourer. His attestation papers show that he enlisted with the Wiltshire Regiment at Devizes on 30th December 1911 and completed recruit training on 9th April 1912. He then transferred to the Dorset Regiment to serve 7 years with the colours and 5 with the Reserve. Pte Spanswick served as a company cook.
In 1913 he was serving with the 1st Battalion in Belfast but he was posted to the 2nd Battalion in February 1914 and by October had arrived in Bombay. From there he went to Mesopotamia. Albert was hospitalised with Malaria at Amara on the river Tigris in July 1915. On 22ndNovember 1915 he was wounded in action at Ctesiphon near Baghdad and evacuated first to Kut-al-Amara, then Basra. Records show he suffered a serious gunshot wound to the right shoulder.
Albert spent the following months guarding prisoners of war.
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